The Three Lions to Start Euro 2028 Journey at City’s Home Ground
The England national team will commence their 2028 European Championship journey at the Manchester City’s stadium, assuming they secure the expected entry for a tournament taking place in the bulk of Britain and the Republic of Ireland.
City’s stadium has not hosted an Three Lions match since eight years ago, when the Turkish team were overcome 2-1 in a warm-up game, but is highly likely to stage the Three Lions for their opening fixture on a Saturday in June 2028.
The English side are set to play their concluding group fixtures at Wembley, but, should they win the preliminary round, their round of 16 match would occur at the Newcastle stadium. Finishing second would mean commencing the playoffs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Championship Opening and Protest
The event was launched at an ceremony in central London on the previous evening. Senior figures from European football’s governing body and the host FAs were confronted as they approached the venue by approximately 50 protesters, who urged Israel to be expelled from international football because of the situation in Gaza.
Signs were held up with messages reading “Show Israel the red card” and “You are complicit”, while protesters chanted: “Kick Israel out.”
Event Fixture List
The opening game of Euro 2028 will be staged at the Cardiff’s stadium in Cardiff, on June 9, 2028, a match that will involve the Dragons if they qualify.
Wembley will host the penultimate rounds and the championship match, which will be played on July 9, 2028 with a start time at 5pm.
It is anticipated that an earlier kick-off, which will also be adopted for Champions League finals from next season, will appeal to households and help connect with a broader range of audiences.
Host Nations
The Ireland are due to play their first game at the Dublin stadium and the Scottish team would do the same at Glasgow’s Hampden Park.
The national sides of all four hosts will participate in the qualification process; two reserved places will be reserved for any that do not reach the tournament through the standard process.
Locations and Elimination Phase
The Birmingham venue and Spurs’ ground complete the event’s nine venues. All will hold at least one playoff fixture, with the quarter-finals held at every host’s main arena.
The qualification draw will be conducted in the Northern Irish capital, which was excluded as a venue city last year when it emerged the Belfast stadium could not be renovated in time, on a date in late 2026.
Leadership Comment
“This will be a competition for the supporters and a showcase of everything we cherish about the sport – its passion and capacity to bring people together.”
In excess of three million tickets, a record for a Euro tournament, are projected to be offered to fans.
